Watercolor Lenses
by Ms Western Ink
Summary: She wasn't a conventional ViceCaptain. How did she get there? The tale of Nanao and Shunsui.
1. Chapter 1

Watercolor Lenses

Chapter 1: The Library Tech

* * *

Ise Nanao.

She wasn't well known except to anyone who might frequent the kidou section of the massive Soul Society library. There was a certain kind of strictness about her, with the neatly trimmed hair and eyeglasses. She, like most library techs, did not carry a sword at her waist.

It was not her neat appearance or her talent for her work that drew his eye. It was watching her, one afternoon, execute the most graceful kidou spell he'd seen in some time. Perhaps, it was just watching the young man being chastised fly across the library where he banged into the wall and the prim miss telling him he was banned for the next 6 months and to vacate her section immediately.

Ise Nanao was a strict technician.

Ise Nanao was firm about the rules.

Ise Nanao was very, _very_ willing to enforce them.

Ise Nanao was perfect for Kyouraku Shunsui.

It was that singular event that led him to sign his name to the transfer request form, there at her table, right under the unsuspecting Ise Nanao's nose.

* * *

She was a librarian technician for the Soul Society Central Library. Her area of expertise in said library was the extensive kidou section. She knew almost all the titles and had read a good portion of the higher quality books. She had memorized and practiced countless. The lower quality books were strategically placed on the bottom of the shelves near her feet though she couldn't bring herself to tread upon them. The world of kidou was at her fingertips. She was on top of the world, so to speak. It was a dream job. She had worked there from the very first, learned so much, grown so much in knowledge. It was the ideal place for her. Her niche in the world…

Or it had been. One delightfully sunny afternoon she was informed she had been, "requested by higher powers for transfer." It was a sudden, violent snowstorm in her brain. She couldn't think. Presently standing in the Central Librarian's office she was flabbergasted, astonished beyond words. "Transfer?" she repeated absently.

The woman at the desk nodded sadly. "Apparently they are having some staffing issues in one of the Division offices. Someone high up, it seems, has recommended you to Captain Yamamoto. The argument in your case must have been convincing, the First Division Captain was insistent that his decision could not be appealed."

Shock wasn't sufficient to express her emotion. "I see. Which office am I pending transfer to?" Nanao dreaded the answer. She was a full-fledged, licensed shinigami but she had given that up ages ago when she was accepted into the library program almost directly out of the academy. Not to say she could not defend herself adequately, but… but…

The entire staff of the library had known her name before she graduated, getting a job there had been a dream come true. Now she was back-tracking? Taking the route of a newly-graduated shinigami? If she found out who was responsible, she'd rip out some teeth!

The older woman glanced down at a paper on her desk. Nanao resisted the urge to attempt reading it upside down. It would not be respectful to pry that way.

"Eighth Division – under Captain Kyouraku Shunsui."

Her head felt light. Disaster loomed on the horizon, she was certain of it. The things Ise Nanao knew about the 8th Division could fill a thimble cup. Or, she corrected, the good things she'd heard about the 8th Division. From what she recalled during her many years at academy and the library was that the Captain of the 8th division was lazy and a skirt-chaser and he could not keep any high ranking female staffers because he flirted continuously… That and he rarely came to the library, had she seen him before? She couldn't recall.

He couldn't keep the men because it was too much stress and not enough fight, and apparently too much paperwork. Who knew being a louse generated paperwork by the hour? Or, so she'd heard. She was not one to dabble in gossip.

How in the world had she, a library tech, come to anyone's attention in the Gotei-13 offices? She never went there. If she was lucky she assisted someone with research every so often, but never enough to warrant any great notice. She was a speckle in a sea of people in that library. What was going on?

Her mind was awash with ideas. Speculation. She hated speculating, it meant she had no idea what was going on. It meant she was woefully out of control of the situation. Things should never be out of her control, it was against her way of life.

Was she being transferred to do paperwork? To put the office in order? The commissioned officer seats were won by fighting, should she go and practice her skills lest the competition break all her bones? It had been so long since she'd done this. Not since she'd practiced, that would be foolish, but since she'd engaged in one on one combat…

As she left the library, she glanced at the slip of paper between her fingers. The head librarian had generously supplied the address to her new… _job_. Also included was a contact person.

Fantastic.

Was this some horrible snag of fate? Who had she annoyed to deserve this? The walk was far shorter than she anticipated and scarcely could she catch her breath, she had arrived. Before she could raise her hand to knock at the front door of the 8th Division office, it was slid open. "You must be Ise-san?"

It was a man. Large, chunky around the waist and shoulders. This couldn't be the Captain, could it? No, not attractive enough to be a womanizer, she determined, looking at the large forehead and puffy black hair.

"I'm Ise Nanao," she confirmed, stepping into the drab foyer.

She had barely entered and already she knew it was going to end badly. The place smelled of vomit and alcohol. Stacks and stacks of paper were piled around like little heaps of snow. It was every bit the disaster she'd imagined. What was she going to do and how could she get away from it?

"I am Ituo Daichi. Come down this way." He led her down a corridor and she noticed the place seemed empty. An office door was already open and he headed on in and she followed. He sat down at the desk and despite his huge stature looked woefully overwhelmed. "You were recommended to us by …" he made an absent motion with his hand. "Actually, I have no idea about that. Captain Yamamoto contacted me this morning and told me you were coming."

"I don't understand," Nanao murmured. "What am I supposed to do here?"

The man looked at her as if she'd sprouted another head. As if to say, 'can't you see'? They were surrounded by white pillars of paper. It could've been a miniature city made of paper stacks.

He cleared his throat and glanced away. "Uh, Captain Kyouraku is a man of many talents. Unfortunately, maintaining the office is not one of his stronger…uh... abilities."

She just stared.

"We need you to fix this." He made an awkward open motion.

"Am I joining this division? What am I, a secretary?"

"Gotei-13 law states all personnel handling the office paperwork need to be seated officers. You are expected to challenge for a seat tomorrow afternoon. The division officers have already been notified. I'll tell the Captain as soon as we figure out where he is."

He had the nerve to look a bit bashful with the last statement. The captain's whereabouts were unknown. Was that commonplace?

"I see."

"Would you like a tour?" he stood looking suddenly much more cheerful as if she were a rainbow on a rainy day. As if she was the answer, the savior, in a way of the office.

"Who are you again?"

"Itou Daishi – 5th seat. It's not what seat you get, Ise-san, we just want you _in _a seat so you can stay with us. We need help desperately, please try hard."

He looked so desperately earnest she could have no ill feelings toward him. This person, despite the rest of the place, looked like he was trying. He wasn't responsible for dragging her here.

* * *

She had one day to prepare to challenge an entire division? How did that work? Did she fight by succession? What determined a win or loss? There had to be very specific rules. As she'd never been in battle of succession she'd never looked it up before. She almost ran back to the library when her tour was over. In her estimation, Itou-san was being just a bit too welcoming. He'd already offered to give her his office and the office of several others in the division since, it seemed, no one used them anyway. Could he even do that?

She felt weary.

"Ise-san, you're back!" One of the other techs exclaimed, clearly surprised.

"I need to know something," she answered shortly and breezed past only to stop abruptly and swing back around. "Where would I find the Gotei-13 laws on officer succession?"

The other woman stared at her a long minute before biting her lip in contemplation. "You know, I'd ask Rumi about that one."

In a back section of the library at a table alone, Nanao sat with four volumes of books surrounding her. All were open to various pages.

_"Battles of succession in the Gotei-13 must be overseen by the Captain of said Division. A win is determined by the drawing of first blood. Death of the opponent is considered a win and non-penalized. Loss is determined by the presentation of blood. All body parts are considered viable targets."_

It drifted off into guidelines for disqualification. She could win by killing her opponent, wasn't that fun… She felt woozy again.

Snapping the volumes closed she returned them to their respective places on the shelf and headed out. The library was suddenly much too full of information and felt stifling. She needed air.

The walk home was longer that afternoon than it had ever been before. When she reached her darkened residence, cold in its still silence, she slid to the floor inside and leaned back against the wall.

For hours she thought…and thought…and thought… and did nothing.

* * *

Morning drew Nanao from the comfort of her residence. She walked the lonely streets toward the 8th Division. To her surprise, Itou was there just opening the front door when she arrived.

"Ah, an early-riser Ise-san. See," he grinned. "Already you are good for us. I'm the only person who comes in before twelve!" he happily announced.

She repressed a groan. Would it be dishonorable of her to fake it and lose?

"I managed to track down Captain Kyouraku last night and told him about you. As it turns out, to handle the office work in this office you need to be at least a 10th seat officer so we've narrowed down the personnel required. Although," he paused. "You realize this is an open event for the entire 8th Division?"

She wished the floor could swallow her whole. She was going to humiliate herself in front of an entire division? Wouldn't everyone want to come down to see the tiny library trounced? She wanted to melt. She had not used her zanpakutou since the academy days. At least, not formally in battle. Her kidou was her definite strong point, but…

"Do not be nervous! Come! Would you like a drink Ise-san?"

"No thank you. I'm just going to go and stand by the window if you don't mind." She pointed to the one down the hall, all the way down. It was as far away from Itou's office as she could manage within eyesight.

"Sure, sure. Enjoy yourself."

He stepped into his office but left the door open.

It wasn't as if she hated the man. She simply desired silence instead of conversation. Approaching the end of the hall she found it forked and met a doorway. It was the path to the garden? She put her back to the wall and looked outside.

Pretty.

This captain certainly had a flare for the aesthetic didn't he?

Just as she thought so, the side door she'd discovered slid open and a man came inside. He was large too, broad across the shoulders and… pink? She hurriedly glanced away as her eyes noticed the long plunge of cloth and the glimpse of sculpted chest beneath. The Gotei-13 was full of such large men, but they rarely came to the library.

Keeping her eyes steadfastly on the window scene she ignored the presence of the man who'd stopped beside her. She nearly jumped when he caged her against said wall with his arms.

"You must be the librarian." His voice was deep. Melodic. Beautiful in a way. _This _kind of man _never_ came to the library. This kind of man never looked at a woman like her.

"You smell like a brewery, step away from me."

Stern, Nanao, she told herself. She couldn't let herself get pushed around here. She had more backbone than this, didn't she? There was no way she needed to turn tail and run back to the library, not with this goon hanging on her. Never. Even if he was a handsome goon.

His answer was neither insult nor argument but laughter. "When Itou told me they had sent a librarian I thought perhaps I had been more misbehaved than usual. I even imagined some old, rounded woman with glasses and a ruler. What is your name?"

He had big hands. And shoulders too. The man was huge over her! She needed to stop noticing _things_ about him. "Ise Nanao."

"Despite your severe frown, you've got a strong jaw, Ise Nanao." It was almost a whisper. "Do your best. Show me," he paused, tracing one finger along aforementioned jaw line, "…what a librarian can do."

_"I-Ise-san!" _

They both turned at the shaky shout to see Itou heading their way. He looked nervous. Was it more bad news? Nanao sincerely hoped not. As the officer drew nearer, the man in pink drew away, straightening.

"C-Captain Kyouraku, I didn't expect you so early. This is Ise Nanao, our new transfer."

"So I see," he nodded at her.

Nanao looked at him closer. His hair was long, he had what almost looked like mini kanzashi pins in his hair and the pink kimono? "You're the Captain?"

He grinned and crossed his arms, drawing her eyes, again, to his chest. She hurriedly looked way once more. "Kyouraku Shunsui. Don't I look the part?"

She frowned. "I thought Captains were supposed to adhere to a certain code of dress?"

His grin reappeared abruptly. "Cheeky. Not even fully transferred and already trying to get me to strip for you, Nanao-chan? Usually it's the other way around; I'm honored."

She cocked a brow, refusing to be embarrassed even as heat flushed her cheeks. With absent grace, he suddenly shrugged the pink outer kimono off revealing his white Captain's coat. She told herself to focus and not stare. "Who are you calling 'Nanao-chan'?"

He laughed and she wanted nothing more than to slap him silly but didn't dare raise her hand to him.

"Stern, even while blushing." He crowded close again, forcing her back against the wall. She hadn't realized she'd stepped away from it. "I've heard interesting speculation about today, Nanao-chan, but I think you will surprise us all if your fear doesn't lead you to sabotage yourself. Promise me..."

He paused.

"Promise you?"

His grin gentled. His expression was soft as he stared down at her. "Give me everything you have. Don't stop at 10, go all the way. Show me what you're made of… Promise me you'll be honest in your effort."

She'd thought of it. But…

He leaned closer. "Nanao-chan…"

"Don't call me that," she snapped without thinking and then flinched as if expecting punishment for taking such a tone with a high ranking officer.

"Your promise, Nanao-chan?" he ignored her flatly. It was as if she'd said nothing.

She looked away. Was agreeing the easiest way to get rid of him? "I promise," she murmured.

He leaned back away. She didn't dare look at his face. "Don't look so wounded, Nanao. It was a disservice to you, locking you away in a library." One broad hand suddenly cupped her cheek, gently tilting her head up to look at him. "That library is an icy winter, and you a delicate blossom… in that distasteful place you will wither and never fully bloom."

Was this man a lunatic? Surely, this wasn't some kind of pick-up? Right? Right? Granted, he was good looking, but the waxing lyrical was just so… And was he going to continue referring to her in the familiar? Would it be entirely too disrespectful to request that he not call her "Nanao"? Again? And most certainly not Nanao-chan!

Her soon-to-be Captain stood up straight. "I need a nap. Delay the ceremony until 4." He gave a great yawn. "You promised, Nanao-chan."

With that, he gave her a half wave and sauntered down the hall. What kind of new world was this place?


	2. Chapter 2

Watercolor Lenses

Chapter 2: Pride Fight

* * *

Retreating to an unused room in the 8th Division office she withdrew the slender volume of battle kidou she had brought with her. While kidou was her specialty, what if she got onto the field and suddenly froze? And while she and her zapakutou were well acquainted as far as name and initial release, she had not even gotten so far as materialization yet! Disaster, it was going to be her new favorite word. 

If she was forced to draw her zapakutou to defend herself, she was going to be in trouble; it was not her strongest asset unlike most other shinigami.

She was… she was a strategist. For that lunatic Captain to think that she, biggest bookworm in Soul Society history, didn't belong in the library… Absurd.

Sitting there in a room almost too dim to read she considered throwing the match. What was one promise to a man she didn't know? Or… was going back to the library where she wandered the same aisles day after day, returning books to shelves she knew like the back of her hand, truly a waste? Was that even what she wanted to do? Did she wish to remain in that socially isolated place? She never went out drinking. She never went to parties. She had no friends outside of her loose library acquaintances. Men did not ask her out on dates. Did she want to keep that? Was it truly best for her? Was that off-kilter Captain right?

Still yet, was it worth it to taint her good reputation by breaking her promise to do her best?

She looked down at her page, unable to distinguish the characters and decided she needed light. Standing, she picked up her book and headed for a room with a window.

She found one two halls over and sat herself at an empty table. Flipping open the book, she glanced at her index.

Offensive kidou.

Defensive kidou.

Binding spells.

She had not included anything in the huge miscellaneous section. She was now thankful she hadn't. It wouldn't make her look any better to light a campfire in the middle of the courtyard by accident.

* * *

Come three forty she had memorized and re-memorized everything she figured she'd need to know. If absolutely necessary, her zanpakutou was with her. Walking toward the back courtyard where the "ceremony" would be held, a slip of paper on the bulletin board in the hall caught her eye. Maybe it was the bright splash of color on the page reading "NEWS!" with colorful balloons surrounding it. 

_"8th Division is getting a new member! Come see the seating ceremony today at 4 in the 8th Division courtyard when librarian Ise Nanao tries for a Division chair!" _

Well, wasn't that a bright little effort. She scowled. Did they have to call her a "librarian"? Who had done this poster? She wasn't a librarian, she was a highly qualified "library technician." People had no respect for the staff of the Soul Society library. Did they think that massive place ran itself?

Reaching the outer doors, she found they were already open and 5th seat Itou was already there. He smiled broadly.

"Ise-san! Good to see you're early. Sake?"

With a wave of her hand she declined. She could smell the alcohol in the air. Was this just one big party house? And she had promised to do her best, she thought sourly. She had to do her best. One could not take the bull by the horns and tame it without showing they had the strength for it. She would get nowhere without showing this rowdy division she was to be listened to and respected!

She had a case of jittery nerves. Her palms were sweating. She frowned seeing the outer courtyard was surrounded by black-robed shinigami. Curiously enough, everyone was sitting. Why had she expected them all to be standing, waving sake bottles? Were they all from the 8th division? She wondered, briefly, if Captain Kyouraku had invited several divisions to stop by. Somehow she could see that eccentric man saying, "_Let's make a party of it; invite everyone!"_

"Ah, there's the Captain. It's customary for him to start the proceedings so let's head over."

She figured it was her place to, for the moment, blindly follow instruction so she did as Itou asked. She felt like a little duckling tagging along behind the massive man.

On the veranda by another set of doors leading into the 8th division office sat the Captain, pink robe and all. Now there was a straw cap adorning his head and several bottles of sake spread out in front of him. A white coat drew her eye and she noted with even greater unease it was another Captain's coat. White hair…white hair… she knew that man. 13th division Captain Ukitake. She'd encountered him more often than the others in the library.

"Jyuushiro, this is Nanao," Kyouraku waved his sake cup toward her and the alcohol sloshed and then splashed onto the wooden planks of the veranda.

The white haired man smiled pleasantly at her. "Hello Ise-san. I heard you were being transferred here. An unusual move, certainly, but I am certain you will be good for Shunsui."

She hoped he meant that in a professional sense. And knowing what she knew about him she could hardly imagine him meaning it any other way really. He had never been the slightest bit improper, not like the man grinning at her over his sake cup.

"I hope I will be of use." It was a bland, diplomatic thing to say and seemed perfectly acceptable. She bowed.

"Hey! Ise-san!" Another voice, another person. She drew her eyes toward it to find a man with dark hair grinning widely at her. "Shiba Kaien, Vice-Captain, 13th Division. Heard you're a librarian, right?"

She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose primly. "I am not a _librarian_. I am a library technician."

"Same thing. So my brother and I have a bet." He cocked his thumb at one of the only people there not wearing a shinigami uniform. The young man with the bandana suddenly blushed. "He says you don't get past the 10th officer, I say you at least get to the 8th. So do me a favor and kick some ass, because I hate losing bets."

The expression on her face must've been humorous in some way because Captain Kyouraku suddenly began to laugh. Not chuckle, but laugh, shoulder shaking laughter.

Nanao just sighed. "Can we begin already?"

He calmed enough to speak. "Let me outline the rules. You and your opponent will wear this." He held up a pink, flowered sash. "Destroy the sash and win."

"But the rules say-" she started to interrupt but he shook his head at her.

"Nanao-chan, are you saying I cannot alter the guidelines for my officers?" there was a gentle challenge in his tone.

She bit her lip. She … she didn't know if he could do that or not. To be unprepared-! Her panic must have shown through.

"Stop being difficult, Shunsui. Ise-san, he is within his rights to alter the rules of succession for his seated officers provided they do not go against Gotei-13 law," Captain Ukitake answered gently. "Shunsui is merely the kind of man who does not like to see ladies bleed."

So he didn't want her bleeding over the courtyard. Lovely. Where was her gratitude, she wondered as he held out the sash. Only, when she reached to take it, he captured her hand in his and held on, the sash between their palms.

"Promise, Nanao?"

She felt heat slide up her neck. "I promised."

He gave her a smile and a nod and then motioned her toward the center of the courtyard. She steeled her nerves, draped the sash over her shoulder and headed out. She only had to do it once, right?

And pink was so not her color.

* * *

"Promise?" Ukitake asked as they watched the thin young woman walk toward the center of the court. 

"I asked Nanao-chan to promise to do her best. Aren't you curious about that straight-laced little thing?"

"I was under the impression she was being transferred to straighten up your office?"

Shunsui gave an absent shrug. "So? She looks meek, but that one there, she's cheeky."

Ukitake raised a brow. "You realize that Ise-san is a kidou master, don't you?"

Shunsui tipped his head to the side. "A kidou master?"

"Academy certified master," Ukitake answered turning his eyes to the girl who had reached the center of the courtyard and now looked exceptionally tiny out there all alone.

"You the one who sent her over?" There was suspicion in Shunsui's tone.

Ukitake glanced at his companion. "Shouldn't you be starting the ceremony? She's looking shaky."

They exchanged a long, challenging look before the 8th Division captain stood and wandered out onto the field.

* * *

Nanao willingly allowed the 10th seat officer's name to pass her by. 

There was a giant gong sound from somewhere and the next thing she knew the match was started. She was infinitely grateful she'd taken the time to stretch and work her unused muscles before coming out as her opponent grabbed his zanpakuto and charged forcing her to move before the arc of the blade caught her or her sash.

There was something about battle that lit the senses. It was a bonfire in the soul.

She heard her opponent growl as he lunged, the blade striking out. He hadn't performed his shikai, had he? She needed to be careful. Not knowing the ability of her opponent's zapakuto was dangerous and if he knew any kidou…

She was running around and around like an idiot. Skidding to a stop, she noted with alarm a chain had formed at the end of his sword.

She was not weak.

She was not _weak! _

She would just have to outsmart them all.

Quickly murmuring under her breath, and one singular hand movement later, the entire courtyard lit with a flash, blinding everyone.

"He's already lost," Shiba remarked absently, then glancing at the silent Captain of the 8th squad.

"He's breaking the rules," Ukitake noted, glancing over at Shunsui just as Ise Nanao hit the ground, half of her uniform, from mid-thigh down, evaporated.

Her skin was milky, especially with blood leaking from the gash high up her leg. The blood was ruby against her pale skin. When she stood, the blood dripped creating a red ribbon down her thigh. It stained her white tabi.

"Hush, hush," Shunsui answered, his sake cup still and empty on the wooden planking. "A woman's revenge can be frightening and Nanao-chan has yet to show me her power."

There was a bright, intense light in the 8th Division Captain's eyes as everyone watched with bated breath the next move of the challenger.

* * *

Sliding her hand into her sleeve she withdrew something. Small, thin, metallic. 

Her blade.

Shunsui's eyes widened. "Clever girl. Now we'll see her fight."

His friend glanced in his direction. "How long do you intend to let this continue?"

"Eh? You want me to stop it, now, when she's just drawn her zanpakuto?"

"This match is in violation of the rules you set," Jyuushiro reminded him. "She has already won this fight."

"Ah, but little Nanao won her matches with her kidou and being very clever. Just now she has drawn her weapon. I want to see the warrior her eyes promised me. Do not worry yourself, Jyuushiro. I will not let him harm her." He smiled and turned his eyes back to the arena to see Nanao leap forward.

Shunpo.

Quick, but not the fastest he'd seen.

But she was smart. Much smarter than his brawny, dim-witted third seat. He would bet that girl was a great deal smarter than anyone in his division.

He struck, she dodged and there was a flash and a spray of blood erupting in an impressive arc, splashing the ground like heavy droplets of rain.

Silence fell over the arena; suspense pulled the crowd's attention tight. With a silent wave of her fingers, kanji glowed in the air and her wobbly opponent in a wave of silver light was blasted backward into the crowd, through it, and then through the outer wall of the back courtyard into the street.

Ise Nanao was merciless.

Ise Nanao was Vice-Captain of the 8th Division.

* * *

There was a celebration of her victory. Nanao didn't really recall too much in vivid detail. She knew she'd gone up against the challengers and mostly she'd just used kidou they hadn't seen before and outsmarted them. It gave her a bit of a hollow feeling in victory because in the world of shinigami it was all about the fight and she had weaseled out of that. 

After the last battle… then… that time she'd just lost her temper. Breaking the rules was unacceptable. He'd attacked her after she'd slit away his sash. She had been the victor by the officially set rules and he… he'd attacked and wounded her damaging both her body and her uniform. Using her zanpakuto had been a personal revenge. Blowing him through the audience and through the wall had been a satisfying flight of temper. She was not going to be trampled upon and if he or anyone tried _that_ again they'd find themselves very neatly set down.

She'd been all sorts of keyed up after the battle despite the utter stillness into which she'd settled. Some member of the 4th Division whose face she could not recall had treated her leg. She remembered sitting next to her new Captain on the veranda while the medic dabbed her wounds. She remembered being offered sake, the cheers, the conversation, the grins all around.

Everyone looked happy. It was only her that felt tumultuous inside. She was all shaken up. When the last healing touch was laid upon her skin the 4th Division officer bowed.

"It was an honor to serve you, Vice-Captain Ise."

Vice-Captain?

Oh yeah.

She, little librarian technician, Ise Nanao had won the position of Vice-Captain. None of her academy acquaintances would believe that, would they? It was surreal.

She sat there numbly, hardly able to form the words to thank the person who'd just treated her before that person was gone and she no longer remembered the face. She was in shock.

"Nanao-chan."

The voice was gentle but the nickname was intimate and inappropriate. It made her bristle. She recalled that voice keenly and her glazed world sharpened as her eyes found his face.

"Captain Kyouraku," she acknowledged.

"Sake?" he held out a cup and she refused him.

"May I be excused?"

He paused a moment, undisturbed by the general chaos surrounding them.

"Nanao-chan," he reached for her hand and took it in his idly. He held her by the wrist limply as if he expected to hold her captive that way. "It was impressive, the way you ended this last battle. That is the way you will need to run this office."

This person staring at her was serious. There was no jest, no humor in him then. It was enough to steal her breath. He was intensity in its most potent form. He was _male_ in a way she'd never experienced before. She needed to get away from him.

"May I go now?"

She needed to be firm and attempted to pull back her wrist, but he held on.

"So eager to leave me Nanao-chaaaan?" He stooped, lowering himself over his hand. When his lips touched the center of her palm, kissing her, her whole body flushed. "Thank you for keeping your promise. Goodnight." With that last breathed word, his hand fell away from hers and she sprang to her feet.

She left as quickly as her feet could take her without running away. When she passed through the front gates of the 8th Division her impatience got the better of her and she ran.

It wasn't until she reached her tiny home did she feel safe. Safe from what, she wasn't sure. But she was certain as she stood there, her back to the front door, that she had left the pieces of her dignity back at the 8th Division scattered around her new Captain's feet.

* * *

AN: Not sure that this chapter is entirely believable because I'm not sure if Nanao was truly strong enough to actually _make_ the Vice-Captain position. So I invented the whole kidou-master thing which seemed to fit Nanao just fine anyway. 


	3. Chapter 3

Watercolor Lenses

Chapter 3: Yard Sale

* * *

After watching his new Vice-Captain flee, it was laughter that drew his gaze upwards again. There was a grin so wide on Shiba's face he was certain he could fit his sword through lengthwise. "I say she lasts a month; Ganju says a week."

The brothers were grinning at each other, though the latter had a curious flush to his cheeks. There was no doubt that little Nanao-chan had impressed. There was an undercurrent of excitement buzzing around the courtyard. Kyouraku could practically feel the rumors brushing across his skin.

Ukitake was sipping tea, having claimed an upset stomach earlier in the afternoon, the reason for his decline of sake. His friend was behaving entirely too…ah, innocent. This incident had his friend's handprints all over it. As one of his young under-staffers brought him a new bottle of alcohol, he glanced at his long-time friend. "So where'd you find her?"

Ukitake answered immediately and with no falsity. "She was the maintainer of the kidou section of the library. Her ability to maintain order, her qualifications, and her manner are all very impressive."

"Truly," Kyouraku agreed.

"She immediately made me think of you."

They exchanged a glance and Kyouraku raised his sake glass in tribute. That disapproving little perfectionist certainly seemed his opposite, no denying that. To add onto that she just seemed so malnourished of attention what better place could there be for her?

"Think she'll last longer than a month?" he asked his Ukitake idly. Even the best ideas were not always a success. Running the 8th Division office was a challenge and that was precisely what the Vice-Captain's job around this place was. He was lazy but not a liar, he didn't do much to assist his beleaguered Vice-Captain no matter who held the job.

"I will not participate in a ridiculous wager against your staff," Ukitake primly answered. The steam from his tea was rapidly dissipating. "Besides, you cheat."

Kyouraku gasped and pressed one broad hand to his chest in a wounded fashion but it faded beneath a grin a moment later. "I hope Nanao-chan will last longer than a month. It's more fun that way… and the Old Man has lectured me four times already about intra-office politics."

* * *

Nanao lifted her head. She felt disconnected from her body. It was an odd, disconcerting kind of feeling. The room was bright and familiar. It was reassuring to know that in her haste to escape her new Divison office she had come straight home and not gone out and done anything rash. Of course she was not of the habit to do rash things.

The windows were wide open and uncovered. A warm breeze blew through the screen and sunlight poured down over her. Really though, she thought dryly, when did she ever do anything that wasn't the straight and narrow?

Sitting up, she pushed off the light colored sheet down. Her uniform was rumpled and her hair felt messy, loose around her nape and lopsided off the back of her head. It was, however, a wonder that she'd retreated to bed fully dressed. Last she recalled she had simply wanted to shut her eyes for a few moments. The whole ordeal must have exhausted her more than she thought.

She shifted her weight and stood. The bath was beckoning her and then she needed to report to her new office.

* * *

Walking toward the door she slid open the shoji and noted with disdain some of the screens were damaged and it felt as if the wooden track of the door was bent. It was immediately added to her mental checklist. Repairs, she was sure, wouldn't be a neglected list. She sighed and peered out into the hall. Perhaps she ought to look into preparing a code of conduct for behavior while _not_ on the training grounds.

"Vice-Captain!"

Itou was grinning happily at her. "I've almost got a path open to your desk. Feeling okay?"

She gave some nondescript answer and followed him down the hall. She could return to her damaged inventory later. He seemed a bit too bright in the mornings for her. Dare she ask what the outcome of the previous day had been?

When he slid open a new door and allowed her to enter ahead of him she found he hadn't been exaggerating at all. The room was covered in stacks of paper. There was almost a path to what she presumed was a desk beneath the hill of paper higher than the rest.

"Our last Vice-Captain didn't like paperwork so much, but Sato-san, he was a previous 3rd, helped a lot… But when he left he was replaced by Enjouji and we got behind again."

The names slid by her as extraneous information. She hoped Itou could focus a bit more than he seemed to be doing this morning. The office itself was in disrepair, they were months, perhaps longer behind in paperwork, what was she going to do? How did this office even stay open? She sighed and began wading in. Might as well start with clearing off the desk.

"Ah, Ise-san, may I get you some coffee?"

"Black, no sugar," she answered neatly reaching for the stack on the very corner.

"Inventory report." There was a giant "REJECTED" in red stamped ink on the front. Glancing at the date she noted it

was from eight _months_ previous.

Was that the earliest?

What was the standard procedure for filing paperwork for the Gotei-13? Wandering around the desk she began pulling open the drawers. Somewhere in this building had to be a manual.

Wandering around looking for the standard procedures booklet she found a lot of things. Mostly things she found were inappropriate for the office. There was a cabinet of ladies handkerchiefs, bar napkins with all sorts of scrawl, drawers of poetry books –handwritten-, and then finally a futon cabinet in one of the back offices full, from front to back, with sake.

"ITOU-san!"

The man scrambled down the hall. She could hear his heavy footsteps.

"Yes, Vice-Captain?"

She didn't bother glancing back. Instead, she motioned toward the open cabinet. "What is this?"

"Ah, well it looks like you found Captain Kyouraku's sake collection. He's exceptionally proud of-"

"Sell it."

The moment that followed was tense, a deeply tensed and strained silence.

"S-sell it? But Vice-Captain-"

"If Captain Kyouraku paid more attention to his Division and less time to lazing around we wouldn't be broke. So unless you intend to give up your own money to pay the enormous late fees and past due notices currently due to the First Division office-"

"I am on my way!"

She wasn't really certain they _owed_ late fees, but she was equally certain that Itou-san didn't know either. Tucking her victory safely inside, she returned to cleaning out the cabinets. In any case, this was a Division Office and not a bar. He would have to go out to drink, wouldn't he?

Her next order of business was to burn the useless paper out back. She was not about to hike up the trash bill with all that garbage.

* * *

She was doing things.

_Her_, that new Vice-Captain of his.

Not necessarily pleasant things either. His very skin tingled as he approached his Division office. In a way it was exhilarating and in another it filled him with dread. Never before had he felt such a visceral reaction to a new staff member. He hoped she lasted a good long time…

It was not entirely purposeful that he was arriving at nearly four that afternoon. If he hadn't been drinking last night and then watching over an acutely ill Ukitake, he might have come to see his delightfully disapproving new Vice-Captain earlier. As it was, he hadn't.

Now, approaching the building, he heard commotion. Wait, no… he heard…_women. _It was entirely unusual for a crowd of women to be at the office when _he_ was not present.

Rounding the corner he found a row of unfamiliar tables and bunches of women in black uniforms crowding around them. The scent of money was in the air. His presence went unnoticed until he peered directly over the shoulder of a particularly short woman and glanced down at the table contents. He wasn't sure which surprised him more, the presence of Itou behind the table acting the vendor or the fact that his personal property was being sold on the front yard of his Division Office.

He took silent inventory of the few items still left on the table. A book of poetry, a few drawing on napkins, there was even that statuette he'd carved from a piece of driftwood he'd found on the beach once. That had been a particularly interesting adventure, pity he didn't remember the name of the woman he'd carved the statue for. Nor, for that matter, did he remember why it was still in his possession. But he'd bet his foot he could guess the nervy little chit who'd put his stuff up for sale.

"C-Captain!" Itou exclaimed. The man's voice was strained and his golden skin turned a kind of apple red. A few of the women looked up with smiling faces. Itou bowed lowly looking as though he'd ill at any moment. "I was following orders, Sir! She was insistent! She threatened to make me pay personally!"

"Eh? Nanao-chan tell you to do this?"

_"It's so great to have this opportunity, Captain Kyouraku!"_

_"Good afternoon, Captain Kyouraku."_

"Yes, Sir," Itou answered casting a quick glance at two of the women who had abandoned the table to come up to his side and press against him from either direction.

Watching another young lady pick up one of his favorite slim volumes of poetry and press it to her cheek affectionately, he realized he didn't know quite what to think.

"Where is Nanao-chan?" he asked lazily. He'd have to settle it with her then. He'd been right about her. She was damn cheeky to organize a sale of his items. The girl was barely a day in office. Was it good or bad that he wanted to laugh?

Itou cleared his throat strongly. "Out back Sir, she is

burning papers."

His eyebrow rose. Burning papers? Burning? Dare he wonder what had found its way into her destruction pile? Without further comment to his subordinate, he headed for the doors leaving the commotion of the sale behind him.

Almost immediately the scent of smoke assailed his nostrils. There was no visible form of it, but the scent was pungent and increasingly powerful as he meandered toward the back door. At least his building wasn't on fire.

He heard her before he saw her. She was a fiery little menace. The diminutive creature was standing with one hand on her hip, the other motioning toward the stacks. The middle of his courtyard was now a fire pit, replete with orange flames and a column of black-gray smoke.

Abruptly, she turned to face the right edge of the courtyard and pointed. "You! Stop standing around! Go fetch more of the papers with the big red streaks down the center."

The young male shinigami whose name was unknown to Kyouraku jumped and then began to dash toward the door. The young man, so startled by his new Vice-Captain, failed to notice his Division Captain as he zoomed by.

"Hey, Nanao-chan," Kyouraku called.

The busy activity of the shinigami around them slowed as his members took notice of his presence. The girl herself turned toward him and he was struck by how slight she was in light of her commanding presence.

"Good afternoon, Captain Kyouraku. Do you make it a habit everyday to show up an hour before the office closes?" The first words out of her mouth were critical? His mouth curved without thought.

"Is it one of yours to sell the personal effects of your commanding officers?"

She pushed her glasses up the narrow bridge of her nose looking offended. "What personal effects? I was just selling that useless-" Abruptly, she stopped and her cheeks flushed. Ah, now wasn't that interesting? Together they stood, silence separating the gap between them while the few shinigami in the yard discreetly watched.

"I…" she cleared her throat and turned her gaze toward the ground. "Forgive me, Captain. I wasn't thinking of them as your personal effects. _However,_ this is nto the place to be keeping prized sentimental items, this is a place of business."

Even chastised she was criticizing him. She was too much. Really, he didn't actually need all that stuff and if it would help lessen the office load he found himself quite willing to let her do what she would with it… now that it was gone and everything. He knew they were behind in some fee for something or other. He patted her head gently and was entirely determined to let the matter go.

"No worries, Nanao-chan. What's that?" he motioned toward the pit of fire and burning paper, a rapidly progressing task. The piles were rapidly dwindling into a hill of gray ash and orange cinders.

She followed his hand motion and turned. "Trash," she answered shortly. "Outdated reports mostly. The Gotei-13 office manual states that we only need to keep immediate reports on hand for the last 5 years and reports not falling into one of five categories-"

"Hey, Nanao-chan," he interrupted smoothly.

She turned again, the flush having faded and peered at him. "Yes, Sir?"

"You don't need to explain. You may do your job any way you wish, short answers will do nicely" he inclined his head to one side. "So if everything is in hand, let's go have a drink."

"I sold it."

He had barely turned away from her when the flat statement stopped him cold.

Sold …it?

Sold, what?

His sake? Turning, he stepped up to her, placing one broad hand beneath her jaw. Gently, he tipped her face up and held, his fingers curling about her face.

"What did you say?"

There was no venom in his tone but she tensed as though she feared terrible retribution. He felt her dry swallow and her complexion turned ashen.

"The sake that was in the storage cabinet has been sold. The office debts _must_ be paid off. How does anyone manage to even get paid around here with this mess?"

Her words were a feeble shield. He felt the tremor in her frame. He felt her fear, the uncertainty in her and heaven help him it felt_good._ Not to scare the poor thing, but to dominate her… when was the last time a woman had reacted that way to him?

She rambled aimlessly. She sold his sake. Cheeky was not the right word for this girl, not by half. "I see," he answered at length entirely unmoved by her lengthy explanation. In actuality, he hadn't heard much of it anyway for all the good it would've done her. "The yard sale out front will be excused but selling my sake is punishable."

A sort of stillness settled over the shinigami discreetly watching them. Not even 24 hours in office and the new Vice-Captain was being _disciplined_. Kyouraku could hardly believe it himself. The office would be abuzz with activity for hours. Days even over this, it would spread to other Divisions...

He released her jaw and she blinked up at him before lowering her chin. It directed her gaze to the center of his chest. He waited a moment, watching her stare. What would she do, if he suddenly shrugged his uniform off his shoulders? What would it feel like to have her tongue run down the center of his chest? For that matter, what, if anything could ever induce her to try it? He repressed a groan of frustration, this woman made him antsy and...

The sound of the door behind him disturbed his reverie. "Tonight, Nanao-chan, we will drink."

"I don't drink. Could you please desist calling me, 'Nanao-chan', it is not professional." Her eyebrows were lowered, a glower darkened her face.

"Professionalism is boring and tonight you will drink."

* * *

She opened her mouth to comment but he turned on his heel and strode away before she had thought of something to reply. Was it within his rights to punish her, certainly. Was he permitted to do so outside of the office and in clearly social settings? That was a gray area and she was not so certain. Even if it were not so, what exactly could she do about it and who would she report it to?

Sure, selling his stuff might've been a bit extreme but it hadn't seemed like a bad idea in her rush to organize this morning. This morning it had been a flash of brilliance, a punishment, of sorts, for her wayward Captain. She would never behaved dared to that to anyone else, certainly not to a person who was as much a stranger to her as her new Captain.

In retrospect, it had been a severely disrespectful thing to do. What had possessed her? She bit her lip thoughtfully. Though she regretted her part in organizing the yard sale, she refused to be remorseful over the sale of his alcohol. That had been for the good of the office.

There was something about that man that affected her in a negative way. It made her do things she wouldn't ordinarily do and that wasn't necessarily a good thing. She sighed softly. There was a nagging suspicion in her belly that it had something to do with the way he looked at her.

With a frown she returned to directing the flow of work. She would think of it later.


	4. Chapter 4

Watercolor Lenses

Chapter 4: Spinning Rooms

* * *

By seven that evening, one hour after official closing, Ise Nanao had managed to clear 2/3rds of her office and the desk surface was smooth. The task was made slower by the fact that she was required to read the documents before determining in which pile they went to. The stacks or the trash…

It did not account for the other littered offices, only half of which had been started, but the hallways were again unfettered. It was anyone's guess the last time that had happened.

Now, returning to what would, she hoped, become her sanctuary, she found that her desk was not as spotless as she'd left it only minutes before. A sheet of paper had been left, singular, with black writing upon its frontal surface. The script was unfamiliar, but very legible and very neat. On second inspection, she realized she _did_ recognize the writing.

It was the same flowing script she'd found in the books of poetry from the next room. She had gone through the books with a quick but thorough eye and all, save one, had been sent out to the sale tables. The singular volume still in her possession was… Well… it was rather shameful of her to pocket it but… it was beautiful. Her guilt had only been intensified earlier by his admission that they were his _personal_ items, but as it was the situation could not be remedied and he had not called for it. Being that as it were, she saw no reason to admit to having the volume.

That, however, was a separate matter entirely. Peering down at the paper she found it was indeed from her Captain. He was actually going to make her go out with him and drink? Of all the- she immediately ceased her line of thinking. If she could sell his things without his permission, he could certainly demand she go drinking. They were both breaches of propriety. As long as he didn't demand anything improper she couldn't really, effectively, protest.

The paper in her hands was little more than a set of directions with an address. She was expected by eight that evening. He had not gone so far as to warrant a dress code, but the paper stated she was to bring, "a smile, an open mind, and some money."

With a quick check to her watch she decided she ought to get home and get ready. No use in appearing unkempt, who knew who else her Captain would have with him.

* * *

He was observant. Or maybe he'd been waiting upon her. He called out to her the moment she walked in the door. Before she had even spotted him, it was startling. Lifting her eyes she looked across the room to see he had one hand raised, waving at her.

"Nanao-chan! Over here!"

Her mouth twisted into a frown and she crossed the room toward him. There was another man, no three other men and a woman with golden hair. Did she recognize any of those people? Her attention was momentarily caught by the noise caused by a man tossing another man into the wall. Bar fights, lovely. Had she ever seen the inside of a bar before? As she walked toward the table, she realized she hadn't.

"Saved you a seat, Nanao-chan!" he patted the cushion right next to him, the other side of him was occupied by the man she recognized now as Captain of the 13th. Thinking of nothing to immediately say, she walked around the table and took the seat indicated. They were not close enough to be pressed hip to hip so she sat. She had not changed clothes and was glad she had not because her other companions were all wearing their uniforms.

"Hey Matsumoto! You met Nanao-chan yet?"

Nanao winced. Was he drunk or was he always so loud? Without warning, he threw an arm around her shoulder and crushed her to his side. The space between their hip bones vanished as she was abruptly drawn up against him. The weight and heat of his arm over her narrow shoulders was a bit on the overwhelming side and she flushed and hated herself for it.

"Ise Nanao, my Nanao-chan, is my new Vice-Captain."

The golden woman turned her bright eyes toward her and Nanao waited anxiously for a response. Would the lady say anything about this ridiculously inappropriate pose? Wait, did the lady always wear her uniform so… uh, open? Didn't that much exposure make her self-conscious?

"Nanao-chan! Great to meet you, I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, Vice Captain of the 10th. I'm sure we'll meet often at the Vice-Captain's meetings." She grinned widely. "Is he behaving himself?"

Nanao wiggled out from beneath her Captain's arm and scowled wiggling away to regain her own breathing space. "I doubt that's possible," she muttered sourly. "Can you please not call me 'Nanao-chan'."

The woman turned her eyes to the man next to her and Nanao took notice of the two other men again. They had been at her Division battle. One was 13th Division Vice-Captain and the other was his brother… what had their names been? "This is the librarian, right, Kaien?"

The 13th Division Vice-Captain Kaien had a wild grin as he looked over at her and Nanao felt compelled to stand and leave. These people were partiers, weren't they? These type of people did not hang out with people like her. She didn't belong in this group.

Kaien raised his sake up. "Good job, Ise-san. Good fight!"

The 13th Division Captain coughed indiscreetly and Matsumoto looked over. "I do not think it is quite appropriate to refer to her as 'the librarian'."

It was going to be horrible, Nanao thought. She had to spend the night with these people? Just as she was contemplating appealing to her Captain to be excused, he slid a sake bottle in front of her and a cup was placed down. Before she could open her mouth, he'd poured for her.

"You're not really going to make me drink this, are you?" she looked up at him. He was smiling.

"Won't hurt. Lighten up, Nanao-chan."

"Desist calling me that! I am not 'Nanao-chan'. No one has _ever_ called me that." Her frustration was getting the better of her.

He was unaffected by her emotion and deftly ignored her protest. "You're too cute _not_ to be Nanao-chan."

Protest was futile.

* * *

Sake cups were small. Nanao was glad of that fact as she'd been sitting for more than an hour and was only on her 3rd cup. She would not be getting drunk, no matter what he said. The longer she sat though, the more she watched and realized this group of people was fairly close knit. They seemed so familiar and easy with one another. Or, was that the liquor? The 13th Captain and her Captain seemed to be old friends if they way they spoke of their old academy days was correct. Kaien and his brother were just as easy-going. Matsumoto was friendly and boisterous with everyone and a bit of an outrageous flirt at that. Nanao had never been any of those things and rarely encountered such personalities in her work.

Really, she felt ridiculously out of place and supposed that this really was probably proper punishment for her. It was not the kind of humiliation she'd normally subject herself to. Most people went out of their way to avoid being subject to humiliation. Beside her, her illustrious Captain poured her another cup of sake. She slanted a glance up at him and noted he was watching her. No doubt he had been all night and keeping a very close eye on her sake cup. He couldn't really _make_ her drink it, but he was keeping her cup full enough.

Despite the fact that her Captain had a heaping worth of personality faults, she found she didn't really _hate_ him or even dislike him. Yes, he was lazy. Yes, he was something of a ladies man. Yes, he ignored her and called her "Nanao-chan" despite her request he not do so. Although, now that she thought about, she didn't really _like_ him either. Deciding that ambivalence was good, she sipped her drink and wondered if there was any food to be had.

It was not her Captain, but the other Captain at the table that finally ordered food. She had never seen anything so wonderful in her life as the spread of food in front of her. Perhaps it was because she was starving. She had, stupidly, decided to forego lunch as she'd been too busy. Luckily for her the din of her surroundings prevented anyone from hearing her stomach growl noisily.

"So! Nanao-chan, you single?" Matsumoto propped her elbows and her breasts upon the table as she stared.

Being the sole focus of Matsumoto's attention was something she especially didn't want. Could the woman have said that any louder? Did she truly have to answer that?

"Single?" Nanao asked, trying to think of something to change the subject to.

"Right, as in not married. I don't see a ring on your little finger so I'll fill you in." She pointed first to the Captain at her side. "Kyouraku Shunsui, single and always looking but not good on commitment. Next is Ukitake Jyuushiro, also single but so hush-hush about it I never know what's going on with him. Shiba Kaien, with the spiky black hair down there… He's married already, but next to him is his brother Ganju who is single. And they are part of the noble Shiba house." Matsumoto winked at her. "As for the others, let's see…there's-"

"Matsumoto-san, thank you but I am not looking to date at this time." Nanao had the sinking suspicion before the woman even opened her mouth to respond that her protest would do her little good. Not only that, she could see very clearly at this point that most of her Captain's associates were as hard-headed as he was.

"Oh, I see. Well, if you're looking for a more _casual_ male friend I know a few of those too."

The words had barely slipped from the blonde's mouth before Nanao was quite literally yanked toward the bar by her new overactive friend.

* * *

They were singing behind her. The song was unfamiliar and bordering on obscene. It was loud and obnoxious and absolutely no one in the place seemed to care. The 8th and 13th Division Captain's table was kept well stocked with food and liquor as the night wore on and Nanao was beginning to have serious worries about getting up on time. She had a very specific schedule. How was she to manage this office if she couldn't go home and properly rest herself?

Distracting her, someone came up and placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned only to see a man she'd never laid eyes upon beside her.

"Hey, haven't seen you here before. You new?"

New to what, she wasn't quite sure. But the man was slender and smelled of a fine cologne rather than alcohol and had a friendly face. She ignored the fact he seemed to be trying to pick her up. Maybe he was just being friendly, how should she know? "New" was an understatement.

"New to this establishment, yes," she answered. He took this as an invitation to sit beside her and she sighed silently. "Do you know what time it is?"

"About ten till midnight," he answered casually.

* * *

"Looks like little Nanao has an admirer." Matsumoto's sing-song voice drew his eyes up from the plate and toward the bar.

He'd been covertly watching Nanao at the bar, a bit concerned about her slight frame and somewhat mousy personality. It wouldn't do for her to be led out of the bar by some shady man with wandering eyes and ill intentions. Vice-Captain or no she was his responsibility. If not for him she wouldn't be there at all.

As Kyouraku raised his eyes toward her he noted the scowl. The glowing fist should've been a clue for her companion that she might not be interested but the man wasn't paying attention. With one arm draped over her narrow shoulders and his mouth at her earlobe, he wasn't in a position to see the tightly clenched fist at her side. At least, not until it was probably too late to stop her. Again, he grinned. That girl was too much fun.

The color in Nanao's cheek's flared and her eyes hardened. She was a warrior. Who in the world had authorized her for the library? Her eyebrows drew down into a glower as the man grinned. Kyouraku didn't recognize him and didn't pity him as Nanao finally decided enough was enough.

There was no pretense. No shouts. She made a quiet comment he couldn't hope to hear from so far away and watched the man's momentary flicker of confusion before she raised that glowing fist and knocked him away from her. The sound was sharp, the sound of flesh striking flesh, the back of her hand and his cheek. He hit the floor with a thud and Nanao stood.

As she approached his table again he raised the sake bottle to her in tribute. She didn't look amused but he smiled anyway. It was a bit disconcerting to him to think his new Vice-Captain really didn't like him. It only made him more determined, however, to win her over.

"May I be excused now? I have to get up early."

"'Course, Nanao-chan." He stood up and led her to the door. Briefly, he considered walking her home but she was most likely to decline his escort and she did not appear drunk so he wasn't too worried. It wasn't even truly that late yet.

Outside the noise of the bar was lower in volume. Just as he was about to bid her a goodnight and thank her, she dug into her sleeve and withdrew a sum of money which she then held out quite dutifully. He cocked an eyebrow at her.

Leaning down he curled his fingers very gently about her narrow wrist and stared very seriously at her upturned face. "Nanao, if you want _that_ kind of service we'll have to do it in private."

Her face flared bright even in the near darkness and he couldn't contain his mirth. He felt the laughter all the way down to his toes. When he settled, he noted her face was now turned downward and her arms were crossed quite tightly across her chest.

He placed a palm against the top of her head gently. She was so _small_ and yet so ridiculously entertaining. He hoped she stayed a great deal longer than a month.

"Relax, Ise-san." The sound of her proper name got her attention and she looked back up. "A gentleman never asks a lady to pay when he has invited her somewhere."

"But you said in the note-"Absently, he shrugged a shoulder and she let the argument go.

"Were you uncomfortable tonight?" his attention was directed over the veranda and down into the street.

"It was different," she answered softly.

"What are you doing tomorrow?"

She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Continuing with the cleaning. Afterwards I think I'll begin looking at what needs to be filed with the First Division Office and there are repairs that need to be made."

"Before you sit down to do all that, you should go down to the combat hall. The schedules need changed. Otherwise all those shinigami you put to work today will be piled around your ears in boredom."

She blinked. "Oh. Is there a particular way you want that done?"

"Up to you."

"Thank you, Sir." There was a moment of hesitation where she faltered. "Goodnight then."

She left him standing there on the front veranda of the bar. All the things he'd been tempted to say about always having had trouble keeping a Vice-Captain and wishes for her to do her best were left all unsaid. His hazy solitude was disrupted when Matsumoto popped her head out the door.

"Ah, there you are. We were beginning to wonder if you had followed your librarian home and Kaien and Ganju were starting to take bets."

With a chuckle, he followed her back inside. Those brothers took bets on _everything._


	5. Chapter 5

Watercolor Lenses

Chapter 5: All in the Manual

* * *

It was noontime the next day before Nanao took stock of two things. The paperwork burning had reached its zenith and the rest just needed to be corrected, resubmitted, or archived. Noting that, she took a seat behind her desk and tried to absorb it all. There hadn't been a period of such flutter of activity in her life since…since… since her academy days and that seemed ages ago. It brought a smile of accomplishment to her face that she was able to clean up the paper in roughly two days. Though, thinking of what remained: the general inventory, replacement uniforms, office supplies, and the combat equipment. Her work was not yet done. There was also the practice schedule that needed reformatting and the repairs to the building itself. She was going to have to call in the contractors for some building damage but did they have the money for that? Truly, what was the highest priority?

She recalled, vividly, the previous evening with her Captain. His warning that she redo the combat schedule was not being taken lightly. He had certainly been right about them hanging around. She'd caught one group in the kitchen, another in the back courtyard, and yet even more in the front anteroom of the office all parked around in a little circle taking bets on who could flip a coin into a cup on the first try. With a sigh, she stood and went to find Itou. He was bound to know where she could find the _old_ training schedule.

Hopefully.

* * *

Kyouraku opened the front door of his Division office lazily. Silence met him from every direction. He'd been expecting more… activity. The place was barely lit up and quiet. No more than two steps inside his keen ears picked up the tail end of a round of cheering.

Had she gone ahead with the combat scheduling then?

He wandered toward the back courtyard and peered out the giant window at the end of the hall. Half or more of his shinigami were piled around, as they had been for Nanao's battle, watching. It was an unusual way of going about combat training, he thought. It was more typical to break them down into sub-groups not to hold a mini-tournament.

Half an hour later with several empty alcohol bottles at his side, he realized what she was doing. She was assessing the skill level of her seated officers and assigning combat instructors. A grin curled the edges of his lips. That was quite an ingenious way of doing things, certainly a bit more work than required, but she liked the personal touch, he imagined.

He was certainly not opposed to the personal touch, he thought with a wayward smile. Truly, he was more than willing to let his new Vice-Captain touch everything and anything she desired, including but not limited, to his person. He would have to remember to make that clear later.

It was immediately apparent when she had finished her assessments as she consulted a paper in her hands and began calling out names. It shouldn't have taken him by surprise that she had organized them according to what she saw were their personal weaknesses. With quick efficiency, she assigned groups and then delegated those groups amongst the Division 8 training halls and fields. She was an organizational marvel going so far as to dole out the equipment still usable to particular groups.

When she turned to leave the courtyard field, the papers with her extensive notes clutched in her hand, he thought to congratulate her. Really, she deserved praise for her work, he was quite impressed. As she neared, however, there was, he saw, a light in her eyes that made the hair on his neck rise. What had the little vixen done to him now?

"Captain, how good to see you." It wasn't a cheerful tone, briefly he wondered if this icy woman had a cheerful tone. She sounded pleased another of her plans might be coming to fruition.

"Good job, Nanao-chan. Very impressive." He raised a sake cup up to her in commendation and downed the contents and then smiled widely, ignoring the uneasiness that now sat in his belly.

"I do not know who you are calling, 'Nanao-chan'," she answered, her voice flat. "But I am pleased to see you; there is much we should discuss."

He stood, ready to accommodate her. There was something about her manners that suggested he wouldn't like it if he didn't accommodate her and he wasn't sure what consequences she could bring yet. They had not tested one another's boundaries.

"Of course, where are we going?"

She led the way back inside without answering, instead, she turned to one of the office aides just in the doorway, paused and pointed backward. "Clean up the mess that Captain Kyouraku has made outside with the sake."

"Yes, ma'am." The aide scrambled to obey and Nanao was off again. What a little spitfire she was… He liked a woman who could take charge. They were always quick to tell you how to satisfy them. Briefly, he wondered if little Nanao-chan could be _that_ forward.

He followed like a tethered pup, his eyes tracing the stiff line of her shoulders, the narrow curve of her waist… Ise Nanao was one of those delectable creatures that thrived on control. Briefly, he entertained a fantasy of wresting her control away, holding her to the floor of her office and ravishing her… Or his office was just as good. Really, any room in the Division would be acceptable…It didn't sound too likely, but fantasy was fantasy.

When the door of his office noisily clattered open he followed her in. She closed the door behind him and his fantasy made a momentary reappearance in the forefront of his brain. All too brief, however, as the sight of the place dispelled the delectable image of her on the floor. There was no space on the floor to ravish her. Looking around he was met with neatly organized stacks of paper, through which a clever walkway had been designed.

"I've have gone over the manual, all of these reports need your express approval for filing and submission to Division One. Also, there is the much needed examination of our finances."

He kind of liked that she was referring to it as "our finances". It seemed she had accepted her place in the Division. Really, he thought, he kind of liked her. She wasn't … ah, conventional. The _least_ he could do was be cooperative. She certainly kept him on his toes.

"So where do we start?" he walked around his desk and sat down looking around. When silence followed his question he peered up at her. There was an expression of surprise upon her usually stern features. "Nanao-chan?"

Was she really surprised he was going to do some work? Maybe he should try cooperating with her more often. Who knew where it might land him?

"Um, to your left. I've organized everything by priority."

* * *

Four hours later he was exhausted and it seemed she was only getting revved up. Her hands worked with a quickness he found inspiring. The way her mind worked was equally fascinating, razor sharp, analyzing and discarding information so quickly it felt as if just having her beside him lifted the entire workload of the office from his shoulders. Perhaps that was unfair of him, he thought, taking a good long look at the tiny set of shoulders she had.

"Captain," she spoke quite suddenly and quite soberly.

He raised his eyes from the paper he'd been staring at but not reading. "Hmm?"

She was hunched on her knees in front of his desk, her expression melancholy. "We need money."

There was a fine kind of strictness in her expression. He'd bet his belt she had a plan already in mind and only required his approval. Was that what this rather… pleasant… afternoon had been about? Convincing him of the need for Division capitol? She had been going on and on about debt at one point if he recalled correctly.

"Oh?" he propped up an elbow and centered his gaze upon her stony countenance.

"We don't have even a fraction of the costs to pay for all this. There are supplies, repairs, not to mention the late fees…" She looked down; shuffling papers with an efficiency that made his head ache and produced a white sheet so identical to the rest he wondered if she could find it if he dropped it into a huge stack near the door. Circled was a projected numerical figure and he just frowned at the number of digits. Was that owed out or needed for operation?

"We need at least this much money to clear our current debts. After that, I can budget all the office expenses to keep everything going."

"Do you have a plan?" Obviously there was little to do but ask her.

"We do not possess the money or ability to produce a product to gather income, so we can't sell anything, but we do have something we can most likely successfully rent out."

He cocked a brow at her suggestively. What was she about to suggest? "Indeed?"

With a curt nod she answered, quelling his curiosity. "You."

* * *

"You are the nerviest little chit…" he remarked lazily, standing.

It wasn't an action that immediately put her upon guard. He was just standing. Really, he'd been much more cooperative than she'd expected through it all. A proper demonstration of their debt had to be made; somehow explaining it in mere words seemed futile. Especially as the whole business just seemed to bore him no matter what she said. She was convinced she could've told him he was growing plum branches from his ears and he would've nodded in agreement with her.

She saw no occasion to stand with him as he came around to her side of the desk and the little square of neatness surrounding the space where she sat. Kneeling, he brought one large hand up and cupped her jaw. His gaze was like fire across her skin causing her heart to thud faster.

Captive.

"Ise Nanao, are you telling me you wish to sell out your Captain for money?"

"Sell out" sounded positively traitorous, did he need to phrase it in such a way? She was distracted as one finger suddenly danced along her cheek returning her attention to his face. She struggled against her nerves to speak. It was near impossible to do so as he crowded over her, still stroking her face so… so… _inappropriately_! He was so singularly…

"You suggested so yourself the other evening-"

"Ah," he corrected, interrupting her, his tone very gentle and his eyes very dark. "I thought I made that offer to _you_ and not to the Division."

A flush encompassed her. It was like a sudden summer storm, unexpected and powerful, she felt the heat to her toes. Her body was positively humming with it. Never, her traitorous body whispered, would she have found _this_ in the library...

"Not the Division, Sir…but all of the Gotei-13. We won't make any money limiting you to just our Division."

Bringing his other hand up, her held her face in both hands, very gently, sliding his thumb across her lips. Her breath hitched and she flinched at her own shuddering at his touch. She felt like a schoolgirl in the hands of a rake, foolish and inexperienced but there was no suggestion of mocking in his demeanor.

Attempting to regain control of the situation, Nanao frowned and tried to move back but he only leaned forward. If she went back any further she'd fall flat on her back on the floor and that would be _worse. _

Whatever look he'd given her before, now it was different. Intensity rolled off of him in waves. She could feel his body heat through his clothes and wondered what it would feel like to have the weight of his frame over her body… was this what it was like to want a man? A sudden inspiration took her, this must be _passion!_ A real one! It wasn't the same as the feeling her books roused in her this was… intense beyond what words could really offer her.

He dropped his hands away and licked his dry lips, a sigh escaping. "Sell me then, Nanao." Her name, no '-chan' attached only made her feel hotter. "Sell me to whoever you wish, but once it's over, I'm claiming a reward for all this frustration with you. You have no choice and no say in what matter I collect it."

It wasn't menace in his eyes just then; it was sort of a thick, dark promise. Something that propriety whispered might be way over the bounds. But this was her Captain, a man of honor; he wouldn't take advantage of her… Well, she wasn't exactly sure of that, but she was hoping.

When he drew away it left her feeling a rush of cold. Had the air surrounding him truly been so heated? He moved toward the door and stood a moment before opening it, abandoning her to his office. "Make your plans."

It sounded more like an order than anything he'd ever said to her in his capacity as Captain. Suddenly, she wasn't sure it was a bad idea or a fantastic idea.

* * *

AN: Though it might be nice of me to post something on this. Just so you know I haven't totally abandoned it. I'm a bit stuck with this one actually, but I'm trying. Maybe I need a new direction?


	6. Chapter 6

Watercolor Lenses

Chapter 6: Noticing Nanao

This story is NOT manga compliant.

* * *

It was the subtle announcing that was the most difficult. In order to properly "advertise" she'd been forced to follow him to a bar much to her consternation. It had been everything her previous experience had been only this time she'd been forced to converse with his… dare she call them "groupies"?

Also, she was fairly certain that what she was advocating might be outside of the guidelines for proper behavior of executive officers. Knowing that, she'd had to invent rather ingenious plots to keep the "girls" quiet about renting her Captain for a couple hours.

She wasn't really prostituting him, she told herself. She wasn't suggesting to the clients that she was selling him for _sex_. Even the very hint of it would get her and her Captain dragged into Division One and censured or worse. She didn't even know what _worse_ could be.

Now, looking at her special schedule book designed for him she found she'd booked his days fairly thoroughly. He'd agreed to take "appointments" after work hours until 10 in the evening. After which was his personal time. Really, she wasn't sure how her plans for his evenings were any different from his _own_ evenings, but didn't see the point of arguing.

Despite her best efforts, the plan to sell off her Captain wasn't going to pay all the bills. She might have been a bit too hopeful in the notion that his popularity with women could solve her financial problems for the office. Really, if she cared to be honest this wasn't about _money_ at all and it was time she acknowledged it.

At least to herself.

He got on her nerves, plain and simple. He denied her the respect she thought she deserved, not even as his Vice-Captain but simply as a _person_. In simple truth it was more about revenge and control than anything else. Captain Kyouraku Shunsui needed to be controlled and she wasn't sure it was _possible._

When a tapping came from her door frame, she peered up to see Matsumoto, busty, blond and rather brash, in her doorway lounged there like she owned it. "Afternoon, am I interrupting?"

Unsure what the woman could want, she simply shook her head "no" and Matsumoto invited herself right on in. Truthfully, she'd been halfway across the room before she'd asked if she was interrupting in the first place.

"Vice-Captain's meeting today at 2."

Nanao just settled for another nod. "I received the message."

"Oh? I heard this office was having a bit of a mail problem, so I just popped by to see. Well… that and I was curious about something." A smirk graced her lips, one eyebrow hitched. "So, are the rumors about you and Captain Kyouraku true?"

A mail problem, that was interesting because the Vice-Captain meeting orders had come through hell butterfly. So unless the butterflies were suddenly getting lost there shouldn't have been any problem on that front.

But rumors? There was a sort of salacious tone to the question. Nanao's head perked up. What kind of rumors? Rumors were bad; rumors meant damage control immediately. Matsumoto's grin grew ever wider.

"What do you mean, 'rumors'?" she cautiously inquired.

"I heard that you were selling blocks of time to … needy females."

Nanao blanched. Needy females? There were rumors that she'd opened some kinky escort service with her Captain as the main course? If the rumors were that bad already… It had only been two days. She would simply have to call the whole thing off; it wasn't as if the plan would rescue her finances anyway. There were other ways to torture her Captain, which, for the moment she would admit to herself she wanted to do. Who could've known it would be so amusing to poke at someone?

"I…" Nanao frowned and gathered her words. "I'm doing nothing of the sort."

"Oh?" Matsumoto inched closer. The older woman crept around Nanao's desk and leaned down by her ear. "What are you doing then?"

"It's nothing like that," Nanao corrected. The woman was already here with questions about rumors; how far was too far ? "I am merely taking advantage of Captain Kyouraku's popularity."

The woman threw her head back in laughter. "Fantastic! I hope you're getting a good rate."

Matsumoto then began in on how much she personally thought the Captain was worth and what he liked to do and making scandalous little innuendo's about his sexual performance. Nanao didn't want to know if her Captain and this blonde were lovers and she really didn't want to know how good a sex partner he was. Really, she had enough trouble concentrating in his presence already without this lady giving her even more silly details…

"Hey! Let's have lunch! There's this cute little place two blocks over and the one waiter over there has the cutest little butt!"

Nanao tried to protest. Listing things she still had to do and officers she needed to meet with all met with the same blank stare from Matsumoto. In the end, the woman grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out. Nanao wasn't sure to be grateful she had someone to spend lunch with or be disgruntled that she was being taken away from her work.

In the hall they passed by a very tardy Captain Kyouraku. "Afternoon, Captain! Taking Nanao for a bit of lunch, see you later."

He gazed them with lazy eyes. "Not inviting the Captain along?" he drawled lowly.

"Girls only!" Matsumoto announced.

Nanao was dragged by him, Matsumoto's arm linked through hers in a grip she was unable to break. Glancing at her Captain, she said nothing and in a moment they were out the door. He looked a bit on the tired side but, really, it hadn't anything to do with her. She didn't schedule him past ten in the evening. How late he stayed out after that was none of her business.

* * *

Lunch with Matsumoto was supposed to be simple, Nanao guessed. She was officially allotted thirty minutes for lunch. She was acutely aware of when she stretched that thirty minute mark to thirty-one minutes. Each minute over taxed her delicate nerves. How Matsumoto managed to keep her an hour and twenty minutes over her officially appointed time limit, Nanao wasn't sure but she was anxious as she followed the blonde from the restaurant when they finally left.

The aforementioned waiter waved to Matsumoto as they departed. Nanao kept her head straight ahead her mind returned to business. There was still forty minutes until the Vice-Captain's meeting started. She supposed there was time to stop back at her office to see how things were going when Matsumoto grabbed her arm again.

"Let's go pick up Kaien!"

Without protesting, Nanao knew she'd lost. The woman was like a sledgehammer. She'd never been to the 13th Division offices; maybe it wouldn't hurt to go. She could at least extend the olive branch of- really what was she thinking? Her Captain was already on good terms with the 13th Division Captain and Vice-Captain. Maybe some of the other Divisions though…

As she was pulled through the front door of the 13th Division she felt her hopes dim for her afternoon. Nanao quickly began rethinking her choice to accept her Captain's promise to do her best. When Vice Captain Shiba Kaien came around a corner, grinned like a mad cat and dropped an arm over her shoulder she almost sighed. What an _affectionate_ group they were…

What was becoming of her life?

"Hey, Ise-san!" he called. "The Captain is here, why don't you come over and greet him?"

Apparently it wasn't commonplace for the 13th Division Captain to be in his offices, she thought as he pulled her down the hall. Really, she was going to have to get some control over this group.

* * *

Kyrouraku Shunsui sauntered into the Division One meeting room early. The only others there, notably, Kuchiki Byakuya and the General Commander himself turned to peer at him.

"Oh? Early are you, pup?"

The irritating habit of the old man to call him such silly titles had never worn thin. It was an old habit, way back from academy days. No level of power or skill would ever elevate him past "pup" to the old man in charge.

Kyouraku smiled lazily. "There's a new girl in my office," he opened. "Small, cute little thing."

Yamamoto inclined his head. "Ise Nanao." The way he said it made the name rather thunder. "From the Central Library, maintainer of the kidou section…"

No doubt Ukitake had been here giving a detailed report on the girl. It was certainly not commonplace to have such off-the-wall promotions. Most certainly not from the _library_…

"I've been told your office has made considerable progress in the paperwork. You've been backlogged some months now. The front offices have been running around for days trying to catch up with all the corrections."

Kyouraku took a moment to shrug one shoulder. "Looks like she can handle it."

"It is impressive she managed to get you to a meeting on time," the General Commander noted as the doors behind them slid open and more Captains drifted in.

* * *

It wasn't her fault.

She'd had nothing to do with Division Eight and its budget crisis.

Telling herself that, over and over again, was doing nothing for her conscience. Since she'd been returned to the office following the Vice-Captain's meeting she'd been having a crisis of her own. Her desire to put her Captain in his place, in a manner of speaking, had led her to do things she hoped she wouldn't ordinarily do. The entire business of selling him out and the possible repercussions of it all were really bothering her.

They might be in debt, but they didn't have a bad reputation. What if she earned them one? Her, tight-laced Ise Nanao turning Division Eight into a full scale brothel. It was probably a ridiculous notion, but her mind was going haywire.

In her desire to absolve her conscience she had destroyed the schedules, the plans, the rules, the blocks of time. Everything had gone up in a kidou flame in the palm of her hand and there was nothing left of it all but silvery ash. She was disappointed, mostly in herself.

Captain Kyouraku had not returned from his meeting but she wasn't all that concerned. She wasn't interested in seeing him anyway. There were six women allotted time with the Captain tonight and they would be the last. The few inquiries she'd received, the two of them, from former customers had been turned away with little missives to approach the Captain on their own in his personal time.

Her program was defunct and not because it hadn't worked but because conscience and fear had eaten away at her. That being said, Nanao was a fan of fundraisers. She was, also, not responsible for Division Eight's debt.

Captain Kyouraku, however, was very much responsible. A grin curved her lips. She might not have the gusto to sell him off so boldly and damage the Division but she certainly didn't mind selling him in other ways. Grabbing some paper, she began to draft new plans.

* * *

AN: I haven't updated this in a long time since I've been working on the other one. As that one is drawing to a close, did this chapter give you any ideas? This beleaguered author would welcome them, because I have no idea what I originally had Nanao planning. ;___;


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: From the Mouths

* * *

The guest caught her off guard. Nanao opened the door wider to admit the woman, her former boss at the library, to her quarters. Her home was small, spacious and traditional. Nanao was nervous to admit her there.

"Good evening, Amori-san. Could I get you some tea or--?"

"If you wouldn't mind, some tea would be lovely."

That was how she'd found herself, a half hour later. Sitting in her living room serving tea to her former boss, a strict, quiet woman who only spoke to her employees in passing. She had never had a conversation with the stern Amori-san before and it didn't please her to be having one _now._

"What brings you out tonight?"

Nanao's curiosity was going to eat a hole in her belly if the woman didn't say something _related_ soon.

Amori, an older woman with a salt and pepper shade of hair, sat her teacup down gently. Nanao wondered how long she'd been working for the library. As long as Nanao had been there, and that was several decades. A quiet sigh escaped her lips and she sat back, squaring her shoulders.

"Were you ever familiar with the rumor network in the library?"

"I know there was a lot of talk, but I have never been fond of rumor." Nor had she ever been familiar enough with anyone that they would share it with her.

"It has always been rampant. The life of the library staff tends to be a bit less exciting than those of our Division-based colleagues. So when you came to be a subject of the rumor mill there, I was a bit surprised and a bit startled. Before your change of employment, had you ever met Captain Kyouraku?"

Nanao frowned and lowered her head. "No, I don't believe so."

"He is a frequent patron, he and Captain Ukitake. When there is trouble in Soul Society, the two of them get involved in much research. They have great knowledge, those two men. Is there any truth to the rumor that you are not getting along well with the Captain?"

Nanao was mortified. She felt dirty and embarrassed. Shamed. "He isn't what I expected a Captain would be like."

"I didn't come here to lecture you, nor would I have any authority to do it. I came to remind you that you were chosen because someone thought you would be _good_ for Captain Kyouraku. Someone saw something in you that could be improved, for you and for Division Eight and you proved that assessment correct by qualifying yourself for Vice-Captain."

Nanao hung her head.

"You served me many years very well. I don't wish to see you hurt by people that you don't know. Give him a chance. Give it all a chance; don't hastily throw it away because you're afraid of it."

* * *

Nanao met the morning, with if less than high spirits, at least determination. After Amori's visit, she'd gotten around to paging through the book she's borrowed from the library about Division Eight's history. Captain Kyouraku had been in place there for centuries.

Dressing, she headed for her new place of employment, uncertain what was next to be done once the paperwork dilemma was cleared and when she would get a moment to speak with her Captain. It was the latter of the two that were bothering her more greatly. It hadn't been until yesterday when she realized what a grievous error she'd made. If people were gossiping about her in the _library_ of all places. How far she'd fallen so quickly. How could she even go in there now?

Whether she liked it or not, Nanao had given that man, that horrible man, her _promise_ to do her _best._ And she hadn't been doing that, not really. Instead, she'd been bitter and vindictive and, possibly, mean. Captain Kyouraku wasn't responsible for her transfer out of the library and whether she liked him or not she owed him her respect because he was her superior officer and she needed to accept that. She couldn't go back to the library. This was her life now; she really needed to make the best of that.

And, what reason did she even have to complain? She wasn't a librarian tech anymore. No longer was she an anonymous face maintaining the stacks, maintaining the _rules._ She was the Vice-Captain of one of the Division Offices. She should stop being morose and instead be _proud_ of herself for accomplishing that. So, why wasn't she?

With a frown, Nanao renewed her determination. Just because it was new didn't mean it had to be _bad. _ And she was going to do it.

Today.

Right after she apologized to her Captain. It also cleared up what she was going to do next. She'd had swept up his belongings from right beneath his nose and _sold_ them. Luckily for her she had a log of who had bought what and if it cost her personal funds to retrieve those items that were just as well. Punishment wasn't supposed to be pretty. Punishment was what she _deserved._ The sake, well, that she felt well within her rights to be rid of, she was maintaining a place of business.

Only, once she got to the office itself something else asserted itself to her. Something a bit more pressing. Something that caused a well of panic in her chest that bloomed into fury. The front gate of Division Eight was fully intact and it clicked closed behind her dutifully. Once inside however, she found the front door completely kicked down and the remnants of a brawl all around her feet. Papers, pieces of previously intact furniture and flowers. The front office of Division Eight was now scattered in the courtyard like rubbish.

Her previously determined mood _darkened._

No one was to be found anywhere.

* * *

Nanao panted. It was already noon time and she'd made no progress on her self-assigned mission. Leaning against the tree, she wiped her forehead with her sleeve. The warmth of the day was getting to her, but at least it was clear. There wasn't a gray cloud to be had and that in itself was a godsend. But it was hot and she was feeling it. She'd barely had one cup of tea at home and then finding her new office in literal shambles on the lawn she'd set out to find the Captain.

Fruitlessly.

Where the hell was he?

She'd checked his quarters at the office. No one, naturally. She'd gone to Division Thirteen, in hopes that he might be there. They didn't know. Shiba Kaien had been helpful in giving her his home address after he'd held her up for forty-five minutes. But the Captain hadn't been there for all her wasted effort. Or he hadn't answered if he was. She'd checked the rooftop of both buildings once someone helpfully told her he liked to nap upon them. Nothing. She'd gone to every park she could think of within a certain distance of the Division.

Now, here she was back at Division Eight, perched under a wide canopy peach tree, trying to catch her breath and out of ideas. What would she do if she couldn't find him? Simply take charge of the situation?

It had been hours.

If she tried to search for him by reiatsu, she was certain she'd fail. Not out of lack of ability, but it was a bit like trying to find a fish in the sea. How would she know which was _his? _She hadn't the familiarity with him yet.

"Nanao-chan?"

Her breath caught.

And she, _slowly_, looked up as if expecting a zombie to hurl itself from the tree upon her person. To her utter horror, there he laid, cradled in the bough of the branches leisurely, his kimono spread beneath him the sleeve hanging over the branches, his hat on his belly…

"Captain," she murmured breathlessly.

Disheveled was probably a fine word for her appearance at that particular moment and he must've been alarmed at the sight of her because he immediately swung his feet over and hopped down reaching out to place a hand on her head.

"You okay, Nanao-chan?"

"I have been running all over this morning looking for you," she murmured. How could he possibly have been in the yard all morning? He couldn't have. He wasn't… "You haven't been here all day, have you?" The thought was appalling. He'd been here the whole time and she hadn't … noticed? Impossible!

Nanao took a long, calculating look at him. Analyzing him from head to toe, his attire to his reiatsu signature, she needed to memorize him if she was to locate him in the future. What an utter waste of time.

Now that she had him in front of her, there was so much to say and she'd been stonily silent. So when he chuckled, she was utterly baffled.

"Are you overwhelmed already?" the thought seemed to amuse him.

Nanao sighed. "I had a list of things that I needed to talk to you about but after I got here this morning and ran into blatant destruction I've had to reset my priority list. But then I couldn't find you."

"Well," he turned and sat down at the base of the tree and patted the ground. "You've got me now. Have a seat and we'll talk."

Uncomfortable, Nanao did just that, curling her legs beneath her and folding her hands in her lap. He looked tired and she felt _rotten._

"What destruction did you find?" he asked idly.

The anger was like a firestorm and it momentarily distracted her. "The entire front office is in the… courtyard. Like someone had a challenge to the death with our property!"

His smile, which she didn't notice, would've irked her. "We'll sort it out, Nanao-chan."

"That's not a matter of _sorting._ That's a matter of bashing heads and you are completely distracting me, I didn't want to talk to you about that first."

"Oh? Is there a more pressing matter?"

"Yes," she heaved a sigh. "I thought about this a great deal last night. You have been Captain of this Division for centuries and I do not feel that I am going to affect any great change in your or the way you run your Division. So what I need to know is, what do you expect from me, as your Vice-Captain?"

"This has been bothering you?"

"Since yesterday," she murmured. "Before that I was preoccupied with being immature and petty."

In the ensuing silence, he bent up one knee and pulled up a blade of grass, curling it around his finger. "As long as I've been Captain, the running of the Division has been left to my Vice-Captain."

Nanao thought it over. "So you don't care?"

"Was your transfer to Division Eight voluntary?"

She blinked and frowned at him. "No."

"What was the first thing you wanted to say to me this morning?"

Nanao was confused at the rapid change of topics. "I'm sorry."

* * *

His first, pressing instinct was to reach out for her.

Ise Nanao looked to him, at that moment, like a woman who needed to be held, but he didn't dare move.

Ise Nanao was a woman who needed attention.

Ise Nanao was a woman who needed control and_ purpose._

"It was what I wanted to say to you, this morning, that I was sorry. I made a promise and I have not been keeping that. I think certain aspects of this situation _have_ overwhelmed me and I was really not prepared."

Little Nanao was stumbling over inexperience.

And sheer _ pressure._

"And while I'm apologizing, last night was the last time you'll entertain guests at my request. That was a disaster of unspecified proportions. I still think you can be useful in generating money for the Division, perhaps a calendar book of photos or something if you would be agreeable."

He wasn't sorry to learn that project was at an end. The previous night had been hell. He couldn't be certain if the girl picked up the most annoying women she could on purpose to inflict on him or if she just found those annoying few who would never approach them on his own because he'd never experienced such boredom in his life.

"While we're discussing that, I fully expect I should be punished. For even having the nerve to be so utterly disrespectful-"

"Nanao," he started.

"I believe in being fair."

Her soft admission stopped him.

"I shouldn't be held to any less a standard than I will hold to anyone else."

The consequence he had been going to hold to her, to steal a kiss from her pretty, disapproving lips, was something he could no longer ask for. How unexpected. He leaned back against the tree and smiled.

Precious Ise Nanao was a woman of fine, etched crystal. So delicate. He would handle her gently. Moreover, he was certain she was going to be harder on _herself_ than anyone else would be.

"Let's call it even."

"That's hardly-"

"Let's start over then."

"Start over?" she asked, dry swallowed, and then paused. "I am Ise Nanao, and I hope not to be a disappointment to you, Captain Kyouraku. And I promise I will never again have a yard sale of your belongings on the yard or dispose of your sake collection. If you can promise not to have liquor all over the office."

The last part sounded like an afterthought.

"How about if I promise to keep my liquor in my personal space?"

Her answering smile changed her face and seemed to embarrass her as she quickly looked away. "That's acceptable."

"Any other pressing matters?"

"Just one thing. It isn't _normal_ to find to massive property destruction, is it?"

"No."

"So I can… handle that in any manner I choose?"

He thought it over and stood. She followed, and stood up beside him, presumably awaiting his permission before she headed off to crack heads. Part of him hoped she did. Little Nanao was a firecracker and he'd be damn lying if he said she wasn't sexy when pissed off.

"You may hold every member of Division Eight to the same standard that you hold yourself to."

Because he was now convinced that he could trust her to do that. She nodded sharply and turned and stopped.

"Captain, Sir, please enjoy your nap. I do not expect I will need to find you again today. But in the future, you do actually come to the office at some point during daylight hours?"

"Afternoons, usually."

"Understood. Thank you."

* * *

AN: Shiba Kaien and his brother are a great deal of fun. I may keep him alive, why not, it's already _alternate reality._ This means Rukia is running around the Rukongai (if she's there at all) and Ichigo and Co. probably aren't even born yet. Don't expect to see them.


End file.
